Bring Forth Fruit

[Jesus said] “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 7:41-48

“Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance.” – Matthew 3:8

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Luke 3:8-9

“But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.” – Acts 26:20 (The apostle Paul is defending himself to Agrippa, speaking of his ministry.)

That the Word of God is a dynamic living thing is never more apparent to me than when the Holy Spirit gives me two or more seemingly unlike Scriptures. I had been looking for the source of the phrase “He who is forgiven much, loves much.” I ended up with the Scriptures above.

Then I found this quote from a Psalms of Ascent’s blog entitled “He Who is Forgiven Much, Loves Much” by Father Rick. He says, “The one story that will be told everywhere is one that says where there is greater debt, there is greater forgiveness.” Father Rick is of course speaking for the woman washing Jesus’ feet. The one forgiven much, loves much. So what comes of that love? The “fruit in keeping with repentance". This flows together for me with a surety of truth from deep within my spirit, but I’m not sure I’m explaining it well.
Repentance --> Forgiveness --> Love --> Fruit

In my old perspective, the Scriptures from Matthew and Acts sound like a balance sheet idea: I've repented "X" amount so I need to produce "X" amount of fruit. But God’s does not keep such a balance sheet. There are no merits or demerits He’s tracking over our lives. He pours out His grace, covers all our sins, forgives all the moment we repent.

Then God pours His Spirit into our hearts, now empty of sin and quickened with thankfulness. His Spirit mixes with our new love to flow out in acts of love and grace, the fruit spoken of in the passage. The more you love God, the more you are aware of His great gift of forgiveness, then the more you are motivated, inspired even, to pour out that love onto others.

What then messes up this flow and keeps us from being fruitful all the time? What prompted Jesus and Paul to exhort us to do good works in keeping with repentance? I say it is our flesh, our old nature so prone to sin that gets in the way. Just as fatty deposits - plaque - can build up in our veins and arteries, restricting - even blocking - the flow of blood so vital to our bodies, so sin blocks the flow of spiritual vitality and renders us fruitless.

But God is faithful! His Spirit is not taken away, just the flow diminished or blocked. Believers once again can repent and be forgiven, fall in love and be fruitful again.

The Armor of God

I was prompted this week to revisit the Armor of God study (Ephesians 6:13-18) I did earlier this year. So I reread my notes and was again humbled by the lavish love of God. Look at what He has given us for the “day of evil” or the spiritual battles His saints encounter.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." – Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV)

Before I was led to study this, I counted six components to the full spiritual armor God provided for his children: the belt of truth & the breastplate of righteousness (vs 14), shoes of readiness from the gospel of peace (vs 15), the shield of faith (vs 16), and the helmet of salvation & the sword of the Spirit (vs 17). Now I count seven; see verse 18 where Paul says “And pray in the Spirit…” (emphasis mine). I say more later. First the components.

Belt of Truth: A belt or girdle protects the lower body from assault. The NIV study Bible notes Isaiah 11:5 here referring to the clothing of the Messiah. The Truth here is the very character of God and His Christ, who He is. By putting on the Belt of Truth, we are clothing ourselves in the character of Christ. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’” (John 14:6)

Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate protects the upper body, especially our vital organs like the heart. This righteousness is Christ’s own, coming from the outpouring of His blood on the cross. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

Shoes of Readiness: These shoes protect our feet, give us mobility and stability. Here the NIV Study Bible notes this is the only place the phrase “gospel of peace” is recorded. We can stand firm in the knowledge that Christ has already won the war; He has already brought peace to us. In Him we are on solid ground, no matter our circumstances. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Shield of Faith: This shield is tall and broad; it provides full frontal protection from incoming missiles or battering. It is God’s faithfulness, not our own, which protects us. Remember, Jesus said that if we but had the faith of a mustard seed (tiny indeed) we would be able to move mountains. But God’s faithfulness is unwavering and strong. “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

Helmet of Salvation: A helmet covers the head and indicates to whom the soldier belongs. Through Christ’s redemption and grace covering us, this helmet protects our mind and soul, our thoughts and dreams. It also proclaims to others whose we are. “But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Sword of the Spirit: Notice this is an offensive as well as defensive piece. This is the Word of God. As Jesus did in His wilderness temptation, we speak out God’s word and parry the attack of the evil one. It also is the Spirit of God dwelling in us to bring us knowledge, wisdom and understanding during battle. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Pray in the Spirit: Another vital offensive piece. Paul states that this is our final component for standing firm under attack. We are to keep our line of connection with God open at all times through His Spirit, not only for our own well-being but to assist the saints who stand with us in battle. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

All these pieces are provided by God for us. Even prayer is a gift of relationship from our loving Father God. This is most important and poignant for me: Nothing of my own power is required. For my power is insufficient, like standing in rags on the battlefield. Like grace, my part is to accept and to clothe myself with Christ.

Lord, I accept! I accept and clothe myself with Your armor. Thank, Father God, for your great love and provision.

All this is available to you, as His beloved children. Will you accept? Will you put on His armor?

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” – 2 Chronicles 20:17

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Time

It's time.
Time for change.
Time for moving forward.
Time for letting the past go.
Time to acknowledge who I am.
Time to dream of who I will be.
Time to embrace life.
Time to be.

Power Source

I have a confession to make, though it probably won’t surprise those closest to me:

I've not been on program 100%...sometimes not even 50%.

However, I plugged back in this morning, and God blessed me immediately.

I got down on my knees and asked him to be bigger in my life than my disease...something I've done in the past but not recently. While I was praying, a friend's recommendation, that I read the book of Ephesians in the Bible, popped into my mind. I said half-jokingly to God, “I'll bet that means my morning devotion is in Ephesians, right?”

And it was!!

Not only that but it was verses about how awesomely huge and limitless is God's love for his people. I cried with joy. He was PRESENT...in the very room with me. His response was soooo immediate and to the point. As He has promised.

I know that and yet I don't. I'm learning that if I'm not willing to get on me knees, my disease is in control. And then I won't feel God's presence, power, and love around and in me.

All it took to set things right was one simple step on my part.

ONE!

And WHAM the connection is back.

I feel joyful and hopeful, clean and pure today. With His powerful love to strengthen me, I can do this program. Only then will a life outside of food addiction is possible. A life worth every knee bend, every effort to plug into my Power Source.

Keeping Track

I've decided to start tracking my mood and sleep hours daily. Why? I'm a visual person. Seeing is often more revealing to me. Plus I think I need the focus.

I was chatting with a friend who is also very visually oriented. She showed me her notebook where she tracks mood and sleep as well as her nutrition and make notes of events that affect any of these. She began to see correlations and trends she'd been unaware of before.

I think this will be very helpful for me. I'll at least give it to the end of the year.

Adventures in Kittenhood

I keep calling our new kitten Mimi after her predecessor Gigi. Not just the similarities of name, but the same issues of getting her incorporated into the life of my household, meaning me and 16-year-old Mr. Lucky Cat. Perhaps he and I are more indolent and less flexible than I believe us to be. All that kitten frenzy and curiosity annoys us, and we do not enjoy being toys, especially when the player comes with tiny but effective needle sharp teeth and claws. I’m covered with scratches toe to head from being the local climbing post and practice dummy for hunting and battling. Lucky is very vocal about his objections to her attentions. I don’t understand cat language, but his tone is enough to know he’s beyond cantankerous old man to contemplating reducing the number of her lives.

I try to remember she has a brain only the size of a walnut. A hard one at that! Think how many times a crow has to drop a walnut plucked from a tree before it cracks. Not that I’m dropping Mimi from any heights…other than mine… Reminds me that Bill Cosby once joked about childhood brain damage.

Here’s the kitten version:
Becca: Mimi, don’t play with Lucky’s tail. You’re gonna get swatted.
Mimi: (continues to eye the forbidden tail twitching just beyond me, wiggles down into a crouch, and pounces)
Lucky: YEE-OWWWL! (flattens her with one paw)
Mimi: Mew! (dashes for cover behind me again)
Becca: Didn’t I tell you not to do that?
Mimi: Mew. (I take that as “uh-huh”)
Becca: Then why can’t you leave him alone? He’s an old grouch.
Mimi: Me-ew. (Sounds like “I dunno” to me)
Lucky: RRRwwrlll! (jumps up and heads for the door…with Mimi right behind)

Fortunately, Lucky hasn’t used his substantially larger claws on her. But then, although born in March, he’s not a Pisces. I am. According a particularly wacky horror-scope, Pisces tend to torture small animals. That's an exaggeration of course. I would never harm one. I confess I do tend to pat cats on the head repeatedly, but is it dribbling if the head doesn’t hit the floor? I also have to confess a childish desire to watch cats jump straight up in the air. They have to be surprised to do that of course. A sudden movement underneath them with a loud noise often works.

I’m also a proponent of letting cats experience the consequences of their curiosity. Just the other day, I let Mimi explore the bathtub drain hole after my shower and let the shower valve drop on its own. It wasn’t a dangerous amount of water coming from the faucet. It didn’t all douse her head, and I did dry her off after I stopped laughing.

Then there was last night when I was in bed…I suffer some allergies and had the sniffles. Mimi was curious about the tissue waving in front of my face and the strange snort coming from it. I really couldn’t help the violent sneeze that blasted out just as she sniffed it. I’ll admit her instantaneous reverse leap from my chest to my knees tickled my funny bone. Reduced me quickly to my huffy Muttley laugh, complete with tears, even as I tried to comfort her. Usually my sneezes come in threes…I wonder if the laughter short-circuited that reflex? Hmmm…well, with Mimi’s habit of repeating herself, I guess I’ll have opportunity to find out.

I hope you could tell my tongue is firmly in cheek. Tell me some of your kitten or cat adventures.

Too Domesticated?

I have two beautiful Abyssinian-mix cats, Mr. Lucky and Gigi. If you happen to wander by and admire my felines, I’ll gladly gush about them. However, today I’m wondering if domestication has gone too far? Or not far enough?

Consider the fact that my cats NEVER “do their business” outside in the dirt. Nope, no matter how long they have been outside. In fact this past weekend, they were waiting, little furry legs crossed, at the door when I came home from a day long workshop, and they nearly tripped me up on my own dash for the bathroom. Further, like spouses and children, a closed door to the bathroom is merely a temporary obstacle. Being the smart Abby-mixes they are, they’ve learned how to pull the door lever. If they can do that, then why can’t they learn to use the toilet and flush?

Another case in point, my two cats have the hunting thing down, but there’s a problem. Lucky brings his “toy” to me (usually some unfortunate lizard and, yes, occasionally a hummingbird), drops it at my feet, lifts those big green eyes, and begs, “Make it play with me!” Look beyond the “ewww” factor: his “toys” are not a meal. Some link is missing in this cat!

Paradoxically, his biological brother lives with my parents in a rural community. Buddy is an efficient and thoughtful hunter. Plus he gets it! He knows why he hunts. When he brings his prize home, he announces his delivery on his way to the bathroom. After you have suitably praised his prowess, he moves on to the clean up process with a flick of tail that says, “no need to set out the canned stuff tonight, I’ve got it covered.” The only problem Buddy seems to have is that his eyes are too big for his stomach. My dad once caught him stalking a deer.

Now Gigi doesn’t mind horning in on Lucky’s game, but she not much of a hunter of “live” things. I’ve learned to make sure all ball-point pens, twisty-ties, rubber-bands and shoe laces are out of sight. She cannot resist them. While finding the lost pens and not tripping over a suddenly fur-encased ankle is annoying, I worry most about her swallowing the twisty-ties and rubber-bands. So I’m a little obsessive about keeping those things in a drawer…at least so far she hasn’t managed to figure out how to open those!